The Boston Celtics lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-100, but they fought hard until the end of the game. They opened up an 8-point lead in the first half, before falling behind by as many as 20 points in the second half. Although a loss is never fun, it’s hard to be disappointed in a team that was never expected to make the playoffs.
In Game 1 of the first round series, there was a lot to like out of the Celtics, and some things to dislike.
Positives
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Thomas led the team with 22 points (including 8-8 free throw shooting). He also saw a big boost in his minutes, playing for 31:34 minutes as opposed to his 25 minute average over the last 10 games. Thomas also had 10 assists and 5 rebounds, both greatly exceeding his season averages. Kyrie might have been on fire in his playoff debut, but you can’t gloss over Thomas’ exceptional performance.
For a second out there, it looked like Cleveland didn’t have an answer to our very own Kelly Olynyk. On his 24th birthday, the Canadian played 18 minutes and scored 12 points on 5-7 shooting (2-3 from behind the arc). My only question is why didn’t he play more minutes? I would’ve liked to see more of the Olynyk, Sullinger duo from the beginning of the season.
Sullinger, surprisingly, deserved his minutes out there as the Celtics looked pretty weak on the boards. Sullinger is still regaining his confidence and stamina, so his 13:38 minutes makes sense, but Olynyk should have played a bit more.
Apr 12, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) defends against Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk (41) in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
There were some other bright points throughout the game for the Celtics, but for now it’s easier to look at what they can improve going in to game 2.
Negatives
Isaiah Thomas’ Turnovers
Isaiah Thomas had five turnovers that really hurt the Celtics late in the game. At least three or four of these turnovers came off the same move, where Thomas drives to the hoop, leaps, and then decides where to pass once he is in midair. Whether the credit goes to Blatt, or Cleveland’s defense, this move simply won’t work against them. Thomas needs to find a way to limit those turnovers.
Apr 19, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) steals the ball from Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) in the first quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Turner actually strung together an O.K. game considering it was his first playoff game. His stats make it look a little better than it was, with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. He led all Celtics in playing time with 34:11 minutes. He also had the worst +/- of all the Celtics with a -18.
The bigger surprise, and disappointment, came from the Celtics Avery Bradley. One of just a few Celtics with any playoff experience, Bradley should have come out ready to lead his team and calm their nerves. Instead, Bradley was the one with the nerves (or just cold hands), shooting 3-10 from the floor (1-6 from three-point range) for 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Bradley is going to need to come up way bigger in the future games if the Celtics want to win at all in this series.
FanSided
The Celtics need to find an answer for Kyrie Irving after he lit them up for 30 points in his playoff debut yesterday. The worst part is, Smart, Bradley, and even Thomas all played solid defense on Irving. At least a few of his five three pointers were strongly contested, and they just went in any way.
The biggest problem with Irving showing his scoring ability is that if the Celtics devote too much attention to him the Cavaliers will simply go to another scoring option. In this case, the Celtics held LeBron to a modest 20 points. If they now try to watch Kyrie more closely, it could be LeBron with 30 or 40 next game.
Honorable Mentions
- – I’d like to see a little more out of Brandon Bass, another Celtic with a little playoff experience. In almost 27 minutes he scored 10 points and grabbed just one rebound.
- – I’d like to see a little more out of the referee’s in the next game. Sorry, I just had to say it, but seriously…
- + Marcus Smart looked good out there in his playoff debut. Nice to see him driving to the basket to compliment his inconsistent three point game.
- + Jae Crowder played some pretty solid defense on LeBron. It’s hard to know whether this is because Kyrie was on fire, or because Crowder was actually semi-shutting James down. 10 points and 5 rebounds from Jae is a good contribution as well.
I’m sure Stevens will address at least a few of these things by Game 2 on Tuesday. Especially the turnovers! I’m mostly curious to see how the distribution of minutes plays out. I think Thomas will see another 30 minute game, provided he can keep the turnovers down, but I would like to see Olynyk play upwards of 20 minutes if his shots are falling. Also, I’d like to see Smart and Crowder absorb some of Evan Turner’s team high 34:11 minutes.
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